Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesan and Tuamotu Islands, northward to Southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island.
Size: 18 inches (45 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits muddy and sandy weedy areas near lagoon and rocky areas and usually found at depths between 3 – 300 feet (1 – 90 m) where it feeds on benthic invertebrates.
General Husbandry: Somewhat common in the trade having a tan to yellow body with white and blue spots and two long ‘horns’ on the head crest.
Best maintained in large fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas and slow moving and very peaceful tankmates.
Requires a varied diet containing both meaty and vegetable matter, and should be fed several times daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Suborder: Tetraodontoidei
Family: Ostraciidae
Genus: Lactoria
FYI: A slow moving fish, therefore, it should not be housed with fast moving and/or fin-nipping fishes.
Will eat snails and ornamental shrimp.
One per aquarium.
Do not offer floating foods, as this species may ingest air and cause buoyancy problems.
Should be the first fish placed in the aquarium.
May consume cyanobacteria/slime algae and other types of macro and microalgae.
May nip tubeworms.
When excited or threatened can release a toxin (ostracitoxin) that may kill other fish.
Activated carbon will remove the toxin, however, it may be too late to save it or its tankmates once it happens.
Always remove a specimen if it's being picked on or in bad health.
Experience Level: Expert
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 250 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F (22 – 26°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
